Moving-picture machine.



DARBY. MOVING PiCTURE MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN 26, 1914.

Patented Oct. 8, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

J; DARBY.

M0 VlNG PICTURE ACHINE. AiPucATlofl :HLED JAN. 26, .1914.

1,280,676. f Patented 00x. 8,1918.

z shins-SHEET 2.

W an I, ywe n to devices in such machines for the handling" UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN DARBY, or SUMMIT, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR 'ro FRANCIS B. GRIFFIN AND EDWARD c. WALLACE, BOTH or NEW YORK, N. Y.

MOVING-PICTURE MACHINE.

Specification of Letters latent.

Patented Oct. 8, 1918.

w .l 'iip lic ation filed January 26, 1914. Serial No. 814,427.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, JOHN DARBY, acitizen of the United States, residing at Summit, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Moving-Picture Machines, of which the following is a specification. g

The invention relates to moving picture projecting machines and more particularly of the film strip and to devices and instrumentalities cooperating therewith. 4

.Objects of, the iHX BIItlOII are to provide novel means'for quickly arranging the film strip in the machine and with respect to the various parts thereof; to rovide for accurately and rapidly establishinga reserve loop of the proper length between the continuously unwinding or supplying means and the intermittent feed past the lens or projecting tube; to provide similarly for such a reserve loop between such intermittent feed and a continuously running rewmding device; to provlde novel and efficlentmechanlsm and instrumentallties for fefiectuating these objects either directly or one embodiment of the invention, and taken in connection with the, description serve to illustrate the principles thereof.

Of the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention and showing the mech anisms in the position in which a strip or film is threaded through the machine;

Fig. 2 is the same as Fig. 1, but showing the mechanisms in the position in which they are when the film is being run through the machine;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation looking at Figs.-

1 and 2 from the left with the film strip omitted;

Fig. i is a section on the line n+1; of Fig. 1 on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary elevation looking at Fig. 4 from the bottom; and

Fig. 6 is a section through the strip conducting slot at the back of the lens tube on the line C-.D of Fig. '3.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, illustrating one embodiment of the invention, a frame for the machine is provided comprising a foot or base 1 and a plate 2 extending upwardly therefrom, upon which plate the various mechanisms are mounted and arranged. Carried in a suitable manner upon said frame is a tube 3. carrying the end to a plate 4 extending outwardly from the frame 2.. \Vithi n the tube 3 in proper arrangement and position are the projecting lenses. In front of the lens tube 3 is a rotary shutter 5, carried upon a shaft 6, which shaft 6, through proper connections is rotated in proper time relation with the film strip feeding devices.

' In accordance with certain features of the invention, the film strip is supplied from a continuouslyunwinding roll. and is rewound upon a continuously winding roll, while the film strip is given a step by step or interprojecting lenses, and attached at its rear mittent feed past the opening inthe rear of l the lens tube 3, in cooperation with devices for establishing and preserving a-reserve loop of just the proper length or extent be tween the supplying means and the intermittent feed and between the intermittent feed and the rewinding means.

In the embodied form, the film strip a is wound in a roll upon a reel 7, which reel 7 is rotatable upon a support 8. A pivoted locking latch 9 may be-swung into position to permit thesliding of the reel 7 onto the shaft 8 and then saidlatch may be turned downwardly intothe locking position shown in the drawing. A coiled spring 10 working d between a pin 11 and a washer 12 serves to permit the sliding of the reel 7 onto the shaft 8, and also serves as a dra or brake upon the reel. The shaft 8 is suitably supported as by an upright'rod 13 vertically adjustable in the frame 2, and secured in any position bythumb screw 13'; a

The film strip a is drawn from the reel 7 bythe continuously operating unwinding mechanism comprising a continuously driven sprocket roller 11 carried upon a shaft 15. Said shaft 15 has a pinion 16 in mesh with the gear wheel 17.-- Said gear wheel 17 is fixed on a shaft 18, which shaft 18 isprovided with a driving crank 19. The film strip a passes preliminarily around a guiding roller 20 to properly direct it so that the sprocket teeth of the roller 1% will engage with the sprocket holes in the side edges of the film strip a in a well-known manner.

Mounted upon the frame by suitable pivoted mountings 22 is an arm 21. At or near its other end. the arm 21 carries a roller 23. Integral with or fixed to move with the arm 21 is a short arm 21, carrying a roller 25. Fixed to the arm 21 is a two-faced block or cam 26, and coiiperating therewith a fiat leaf-spring 27. I

lVheu the film strip a is threaded through the machine, the arm 21 is in the position shown in Fig. 1- and is firmly held in such position by the leaf-spring 27. The film strip ais threaded about'the roller 20 over the other face of the block 26, serving thus to firmly hold the arm in this new position. The roller 25 now cooperates with the sprocket roller 11, and preferably has grooved bearing faces at each end thereof,

.tures on the film strip.

which press against the film strip oneach side of the sprocket teeth of the roller 14. The roller at the same time passes into operative relation with a guide plate 29,

(whichlguide plate is located just above the guide for the filmstrip past the projecting lens tube) and the film strip is thereby guided as it passes downwardly therebetween. An adjustable stop, such as the screw 30 threaded into the machine frame, serves to limit'the movement of the arm 21 and to adjust or regulate the position-of the rollers 23 and 25. Thus the preliminary reserve loop, that is the one between the reel7 guide way for the film strip. The door 33 may be provided with a suitable latch 34.

terminating in a sleeve 52.

the film strip roll upon the reel 68.

In the door 33 is likewise provided an aperture 35 through which the light is projected from behind. Mounted in suitable bosses 38 in the door 33 are bent fiat springs 36 having bearing faces 37 which act as tension devices to hold the film strip flat and smooth against the face of the. frame-piece 1. The intermittent film strip feeding means, as embodied, comprises a sprocket roll 40' having series of sprocket teet 41 and 42' adapted to pass through the sprocket holes in the side edges of the film strip. Fast on the shaft 43 of the sprocket roll is a fourpointed star wheel 4% constituting part of a Geneva movement. In meshfivith the slots in the star wheel 14 is a pin 45 carried by a disk 16 fixed on a shaft 47. Thus the sprocket roller 10 receives a quarter revolution for each revolution of the shaft 47. Fixed on the shaft 47 is a pinion 48 meshing 85 with a gear 49, and shaft 49 carrying pinion 49 meshing with gear 17 upon the shaft 18.

Mounted upon the machine frame by means of a suitable bracket 50 is an arm 51, Said sleeve is carried upon a supporting shaft 53, mounted in the bracket 50. On the sleeve 52- is a twofaced block or cam 54 against which presses a leaf-spring On the supporting shaft 53 is also carried a short arm 56 having a sleeve 57 embracing said shaft 53. A sprin 58 is coiled about said sleeves upon the sha t 53, and has its ends bent so that one end. bears on one side of the arm 51 and the other 10 end bears upon the opposite side ofthe arm shaft 61, upon which is carried a roller 62.

Said roller has at either end thereof an annularly grooved part, each of which parts is adapted to bear against the corresponding part of the roller 40, and to press the film strip thereagainst just at eitherside of the supported upon a bracket 67 is a rewinding reel 68 carried upon a shaft 69, which shaft 69 may have a suitable locking'latch70. Frictionally engaging the reel 68 is a belt pulley 71. A belt 72 runs over, the pulleys 66 and 71, being arranged for slipping to compensate for the variations in the size of A suitable guiding roller 73 serves to keep the film strip in position over the sprocket roll 64.

Mounted in the end of the arm 51 upon a suitable supporting shaft is a roller 74, havin annularly grooved end portions 75 adapted to hold the film strip against the Fig. 4. Fixed upon the arm 51 .is a pin 76 and fixed upon thearm 56 is a finger or face 77.

In'threading the film strip through the machine, the arm 51 is bent backwardly as shown in Fig. 1 and the film is led downwardly over roller 62, around roller 7 4, over sprocket wheel 64, and under guide roller 73, and attached to the reel 68. As the arm 51 is drawn backwardly, the pin 76 contacting with the face'77, draws backwardly also the arm 56 and the roller 62. The leaf spring 55 cooperating with the faces 54 acts to hold the arm 51 in either position. After the film is threaded through, the arm 51 is moved inwardly until its roller 74 bears upon the continuously running sprocket roller 64 as shown in Fig. 2. An adjusting or regulating stop may be provided for the arm51 generally similar to the stop 30 of the arm 21. \Vhen the arm 51 is moved to the position shown in Fig. 2, it will be seen that a reserve loop of precisely the desired length has been established between the intermittently feeding sprocket roller 40 and the strip over the sprocket roller. In the embodied form thereof, the shaft 43 of the intermittent sprocket roller 40 is mounted in a bearing 80. Said bearing 80 is carried by asleeve 81, which in turn is mounted upon an inner sleeve 82 about the shaft 47, said sleeve 82 being formed on the frame 21 Fixed to said sleeve 81 is an arm ,81 having thereon a pivotally mounted lug 83. lug 83 is internally threaded to receive the threaded end of a rod 84, which rod 84 passes through an aperture in a boss 85 upon the machine frame. Said rod 84 terminates in a knurled head 86. A compression spring 87 is conveniently coiled about the rod 84 between the lug 83 and the boss 85. If desired, pins 88 and 89 may be utilized to limit the amount of movement of the arm 81 The film strip is adjusted relatively to the opening31 by turning the knurled head 86 of the rod 84. This causes the rotatable lug 83.to travel along said rod, and by reason of the pivotal mounting of thesleeve 81 upon the sleeve 82,-t-he intermittent sprocket .roller 40 is moved either upwardly or downwardly as indicated by the full and dotted line positions in Fig. 5 and the film strip is thus moved with respect to the opening 31. By reason of the action of the sprlng 58,

Said.

the roller 62 will follow the intermittent sprocket roller 40 and yieldingly press thereagainst in any adjusted position.

Suitable driving connections for the various parts, in addition to those already described will be provided, and much thereof is shown at the left of Fig. 8, but need not be described therein in detail.

From all the foregoing it will be understood that mechanisms and devices have been provided realizing the objects and advantages enumerated, together with other. objects and advantages, and it will be further understood that changes may be made from the precise mechanism shown and described, within the scope of the ac companying claims, without departing from the principles of the invention and withoutv in combination plcture projecting means, a continuously dr ven sprocket for supplying a film strip,,m eans for intermittently feeding the film strip past the picture projecting means, an arm carrying two rollers, said I arm. being swung into one position during the threading of the film strip through the machine to determine and establish a reserve loop of film between said continuously driven sprocket and said intermittent feeding means, said arm being also movable into position when the film strip is running so that said rollers act as guiding and bearing rollers for the film strip.

2. In a motion picture machine, a film engaging member mounted in the machine relative to the film path and adapted to be controlled so as to be moved positively into either one of two positions, said member in one of its positions engaging the film as a presser roller and in the other position adapted to have the film passed about it thereby to form a loop in the film.

3. A motion picture machine including in combination picture projecting means, means for. intermittently feeding the film past the projecting means, means, for supplying film thereto, and a member mounted in the machine between the film supply and the intermittent feeding means and adapted to be controlled so as to be moved positively into either one of two positions, said member in one of its positions engaging the film as a presser roller and in the other position adapted to have the film passed about it thereby to form a loop in the film. 4. A motion picture machine including in combination projecting means, an intermitsprocket roller, a second roll carrier, a roller mounted thereon and pressing against the continuously rotating sprocket, the rollers and carriers being movable away from their sprockets to permit the threading through of the film and to establish a reserve loop in the film.

5. A motion picture machine including in combination picture projecting means, film handling devices at each side of the projecting means, said devices each including a swinging carrier, movable into film feed- 

